Rail joint



A. MATHEE RAIL JOINT Oct. 20, 1936.

Filed April 26, 1935 Patented Oct. 20, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application April 26, 1935, Serial No. 18,451 In Germany August 6, 1934 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of connecting railway rails at the joint gaps. It has already been proposed in making such a joint to connect two longitudinal plates of U-shaped cross-section, which, bridging over the joint gap, engage above over the rail flanges and below under a sole plate which is disposed underneath the rails and also bridges over the gap, in such a manner under the rails by a plurality of transverse bolts that the transverse bolts are firmly clamped in between the rail flanges and the sole plate. A reliable, compact connection is thus established between the U-shaped longitudinal plates, the rail flanges, the sole plate and the clamping or bracing means, that is the screw bolts.

The same eiiect may be obtained according to the invention by providing in the place of each screw bolt between the rail flange and the sole plate two wedges which act in opposition to one another with very slightly inclined wedge surfaces and which are so disposed that the pairs of wedges extend through openings distributed along the entire length of the longitudinal plates, while the vertical webs of the longitudinal plates bear against the lateral edges of the rail flanges and of the sole plate. By driving these two wedges towards one another the same clamping effect is obtained while completely filling the space between the rail flanges and the sole plate, the oppositely disposed U-shaped longitudinal plates being however not drawn together, but being connected with the rail flange and the sole plate by the spreading action due to the pressure of the wedges. This method of clamping is to be preferred when, as is frequently the case, importance is attached to no bolts and nuts being employed.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates a constructional example of the invention, Fig. l is a cross-section through the rail joint; Fig. 2 a side elevation; Fig; 3 is a fragmentary crosssection of a modification; and Fig. 4 a side elevation of Fig. 3.

a, a are the continuous, clamp-like longitudinal plates or clamps which, with their inwardly extending jaws, m and n, engage over the flanges f of the rail ends to be joined and below under the sole plate b. This sole plate b has the same width as the rail flange and substantially the same length as the clamps a. A plurality of pairs of wedges, consisting of the wedges h and i, are placed through corresponding holes in the longitudinal plates or clamps a. By driving in the wedges h and i, which have very slightly inclined wedge surfaces, the clamp-like longitudinal plates or clamps a are firmly braced with the rail flanges f with their upper jaws m and the sole plate b by their lower jaws n, the space between the two parts I and b being completely filled by the wedges. Thus, the same bracing or clamping effect is obtained and the same compact cohesion of the individual parts of the joint, as in the known rail joint referred to above without bolts and nuts being used for clamping.

As indicated in the modification Figs. 3 and 4, further security may be obtained by providing the wedges with hook-shaped ends which, after the wedges have been driven together, bear against the continuous, clamp-like longitudinal plates or clamps. These hook-shaped heads are marked h and 2" respectively. If under the vibratory movements of the rails the plates a, a should show a tendency to glide away outwardly, this tendency will be limited by the hooks or heads and slipping prevented, as the wedges themselves will not tend to move apart laterally Owing to the strong pressure.

When the driving-in of the wedges is accomplished by blows against the thick end i of the upper wedge 2, then also the lower wedge h is provided at its thin end with a hook-shaped head 71.. In driving in the upper wedge the head it then holds fast the lower wedge.

What I claim is:-

1. A rail joint comprising a sole plate disposed beneath the rail flanges and of substantially the same width as said flanges and bridging the gap at the joint, a pair of continuous clamping members of U-shaped cross-section and of the same length as the sole plate also bridging the gap at the joint, each of said members consisting of a web terminating with a pair of inwardly directed upper and lower jaws, said jaws engaging over the rail flanges and under the sole plate respectively and bearing with their webs against the lateral edges of the rail flanges and the sole plate, openings being provided in said webs distributed along their entire length, and a pair of wedges adapted to extend through each of said openings between the rail flanges and the sole plate so as to fill completely the space between the rail flanges and the sole plate to the extent of the width of said wedges.

2. A rail joint in accordance with claim 1, in which the wedges are provided with hook-shaped heads at their thicker end.

3. A rail joint in accordance with claim 1 in which the wedges are provided with hook-shaped heads at their thicker end and one wedge of each pair of wedges also provided with a hook-shaped head at its thinner end.

ALEERT 

